The Master of Nerima
by arkanghel22
Summary: akane's not what we've ever expected!!!! whew... this is hard, but thanks for all the good ... and bad comments
1. Default Chapter

_MASTER OF NERIMA_

_A Fanfic done by Saint. All Ranma ½ characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi._

**Chapter 1: Akane all fed up**

            "That's it! I've had enough!" Akane yelled. She glared darkly at the black haired Martial Artist grinning cheekily at her on top of a wire fence.

            "What? Kawaii kune tomboy had enough?" he said, enjoying himself. Akane's face was growing red in anger, and in a few minutes she'll be whipping out her trusty mallet and chase after him. Oh yes, he knew the routine very well. He shifted his stance in readiness.

            Akane fumed. "Yes!" she bit out. Suddenly, Akane seemed to blur from where she was standing. Ranma felt a gust of wind blow around him and then he was shoved off his feet. Dazedly, he saw Akane turn away in disgust and stalk off. …Wait… Akane blurring and shoving him off his feet without him seeing?!!!

            What just happened?! Shaking his head in confusion, he decided to follow Akane first before piecing out what just happened. He must have pushed her too far, he thought guiltily. He hopped off the fence and hurried after her. When Ranma arrived at the house, he could hear Akane's and Soun's raised voices coming from the living room. Feeling curious, he followed the voices and found Kasumi and Nabiki standing in front of the closed door. Kasumi saw him and motioned for him to keep quiet. Nabiki just ignored him. She was listening intently at what was transpiring inside.

            "…No, no, Akane you can't!" Soun was saying.

            "I can't stand this charade anymore! I've done what you asked of me for 6 months, but Ranma still doesn't like me. He doesn't like me now, and he'll never ever like me, okay?!" Akane's voice grew louder until she was yelling the last statement.

            "But, but…!"

            "No buts!," Akane sighed and then continued in a gentler tone. "Daddy, I love you and I want to make you happy so I agreed to pull this act. But I've realized nothing good will come from this… look, my Martial Arts is suffering, the dojo is suffering, our finance is suffering…please understand. I…I'm not happy anymore".

            "What Martial Arts?!" Ranma asked crossly. Kasumi bopped him on the head. Good thing Akane hadn't heard him, or he'd be getting a harder bop on the head.

            Inside, Soun was silent.

            "I have to be myself", Akane said softly. 

"B..but what about Dishonor? Our name will be ruined. Please Akane, give it one more chance!" Soun pleaded.

The sight of her father's teary face must have moved Akane somewhat. Akane sighed. "Alright," she relented. "You don't have to break the engagement. But I'm not keeping this act anymore. He'll have to want me the way that I am!"

The three eavesdroppers heard Soun crying softly, and then the door suddenly opened. Akane stepped out, her head bowed. She quickly went to her room and shut herself in. Inside the room, Soun Tendo sat in the middle of the floor, crying softly.

            Ranma was confused. He didn't have a clue in what had just transpired. He glanced at the two sisters. For once, Kasumi wore a neutral expression on her face and Nabiki looked troubled. This was bad.

            "I don't know if I should feel elated or not", Nabiki said to Kasumi. Her sister merely sighed.

            "I knew this peace wouldn't last that long", she commented, and then composed herself. "Well, I've got to calm Father down." She said as she walked into the room

            "and I've got to call my contacts, and attend to some business before supper" Nabiki said, already drawing her palm pilot and heading to her room. Ranma glanced back and forth at the two retreating figures. 'What's happening?', he was mentally screaming. He hated to be put in the dark. Looking inside the room, he could see that Kasumi was too busy comforting her father. He hurried after Nabiki.

            "Nabiki.." he called.

            "Shhh! Not now, I'm busy" she said, motioning for him to go away. She was muttering under her breath about money rolling back in again. Ranma stopped following, he had never felt frustrated in all his life. 

"Won't somebody tell me what's going on?", he said in frustration.

Nabiki paused and glanced back at him. "Do you really want to know?" she asked. Ranma just stared at her, waiting for her continue.

"Akane just gave up on you"

She turned and continued on her way. "Come to my room after supper if you want to know more. Of course, it'll cost you" she called back. She went to her room and closed the door. 

Ranma was left feeling frustrated. What the hell did that mean? He hated cryptic answers. He decided to practice until supper instead to take his mind off things. That always worked. He headed for the dojo.

-- o – 0 – o –

            As soon as Akane closed the door of her room, she collapsed on the floor. She hated making her father cry, but she'd reached the end of her patience. She sighed, and then smiled softly. Now that it was all over, she felt free again. She haven't felt so good in such a long time. Sure, there were times she felt good when Ranma smiled at her in a special way or he had done something nice to her for a change, but they were so few and short. Now, she had to forget all that since she'd given up on him. She's going back to her old life now. Slowly, she stood up and moved to her cabinet. 

            Opening the bottommost drawer, she rummaged through it for a moment until she found what she was looking for… a loose white shirt and  worn-out, faded shorts. She hugged them to herself and smiled.

-- o – 0 – o –

            Ranma wanted peace of mind, but he was sadly disappointed. He couldn't concentrate in his katas and always found himself gazing at Akane's open window. He tried emptying his mind but the confusing events that happened this afternoon kept intruding. He finally gave up. Fortunately, Kasumi finished making supper and called him in to eat. He didn't need to be called twice.

            It was an unusually quiet supper in the Tendo Dojo. Akane didn't come down to join them. Soun Tendo looked subdued, Nabiki seemed happy, though and talked with Kasumi quietly Ranma's father was holed up in the zoo again, if the news about an enormous panda holding up signs in the petting zoo was true. Ranma was not in the mood to start any conversation, and concentrated on his food instead.

            His thoughts wandered on Akane. Was she still mad at him? And what was all that about this afternoon? It frustrated the hell out of him not knowing. He had to talk to Nabiki about that. 

Speaking of Nabiki, she finished eating and stood up. Ranma, eager to discuss matters with her, shoveled the rest of his food to his mouth as fast as he can.

            "I'm finished eating! That was good, oneechan!" she said, as she rubbed her tummy. Kasumi smiled her appreciation. "I'm going up to my room now, okay?"

            Ranma slammed his bowl on the table when he finished and took a big gulp with the water. He thumped at his chest to get the food down, and then stood up, too. 

            "I'm done, too! Thanks for the food, Kasumi. I'm going upstairs now!" he said hurriedly. Kasumi laughed at his rush.

            "Thank you, Ranma. Don't you want any tea?" she said.

            "No, thanks!" he answered as he hurried off. He heard Kasumi chuckling softly.

-- o – 0 – o –

            Nabiki turned off her monitor as she heard Ranma's footsteps stop at her door. Boy, was he in a rush to hear her information. He must have downed his food without chewing.

"Hey, Nabiki! Can I come in?" he called from outside.

            "Yeah, come in, Ranma" she said. She swiveled her chair so it faced her bed. Ranma entered cautiously. Entering Nabiki's room always made him nervous. 

            "Sit, sit," she gestured to her bed. Ranma obeyed silently. Nabiki held out her hand and Ranma fished out 500 yen from his pocket and gave it to her. She flashed him a business smile. Ranma silently prayed the information was worth his money, if not he's gonna regret it dearly. No lunch money for a week.

            "Alright, you want to know what's going on, right? Hmm… where to start?" she muttered thoughtfully. "okay, get yourself comfortable, this'll take awhile."

            "When you first came here, you've heard of some kinda Martial Arts Master living here in Nerima, right?," Nabiki asked.

            "Yyyeah, I think so. Me and Pops heard about some guy living here in Nerima who used an unusual technique. I was excited to challenge him into a fight, but I've never found any Master here so I guess he was just made up… why'd you asked?" he said curiously.

            "Because, it is true, there IS a Martial Arts Master living here, right under this very roof"

            Ranma pondered this over for a minute. "Who, you're Father? I could beat him with my hands and feet tied together!" he scoffed. Nabiki bigsweated.

            "No, you idiot! I'm talking about Akane!" she said. For a moment, Ranma stared at the Short haired girl without moving, and then he laughed.

            "Akane? A Master? You're kidding, right?" he chuckled. Nabiki scowled at him, she didn't appreciate her information being taken lightly. "Maybe I should stop talking now" she said coldly and made a move away.

            Ranma snapped back into attention quickly. "No, no, please continue!" he said, waving his hands placatingly at her. Nabiki nodded curtly.

            "Let's start a different approach. What have you noticed about Akane's martial arts?"

            "She sucks," he answered. Nabiki had an overwhelming urge to mallet him for her sister.

            "No! … have you noticed that she sticks to the basics of Kempo? She also claimed once that she was the best here in Nerima, right? How could she be the best if she only fights with the basic knowledge of the Art?"

            "Well, she's just arrogant?" Ranma hesitantly guessed. Nabiki glared at him.

            "YOU are arrogant, Akane isn't. She's not a liar, either!" she said. Ranma cringed. "Okay, sorry! Jeez…" he muttered. Nabiki gave up and decided to continue her explanation and in a more straightforward manner. "Listen carefully, you idiot!" she said.

            "Since Time immemorial, Tendo women have always been blessed… or cursed… however way you see it… with Tremendous Charisma. Look at Kasumi, she can charm any criminal to behave like a monk in front of her… and me, I guess you've noticed I can milk the hardest negotiator for the best deal. With Akane, it's sex appeal. You've met the majority of her suitors, right?", she said impudently.

            Ranma just scowled at her. Nabiki grinned. 

            "Too much charisma can be a pain sometimes, especially when it comes to sex appeal. Some people can get a little too pushy. Fortunately, our ancestors have developed a Martial Arts Technique that harnesses Charisma, particularly sex appeal. Our mom taught it to Akane before she passed away." For a moment, Nabiki looked sad but she quickly hid it behind her business smile again. Ranma didn't see the fleeting change of emotion since he was busy piecing out what Nabiki had just told him.

            "Do you know this technique, too? Waitaminute, your mother was a martial artist? And isn't your father the one who studied Anything Goes Martial Arts?" Ranma asked. Nabiki smirked.

            "Yes, too hard for you to believe? Mom was already a Martial Artist before she even met Dad. When my Mom married Dad, she also learned Anything Goes. She fused the Tendo Technique with the Anything Goes School of Thought and it became a Discipline. She did that to help us cope with ourselves," Nabiki arched an eyebrow at him. Ranma merely shrugged. 

"Initially, Mom taught all three of us. But Kasumi and I aren't really into Martial Arts, and it became increasingly clear that nobody would ever want to harm a hair on Kasumi's head, and I could easily talk myself out of any sticky situation, so that left only Akane. Fortunately, Akane took to our parents' love of Martial Arts and she gladly learned from Mom."

"Thank Buddha she did… because Mom always claimed she had the strongest charisma she'd ever encountered. When she was young, strangers always wanted to talk to her. One even offered to adopt her. And when we grew up, men would call on Akane and offer her marriage proposals… and she was just 11 yrs. Old then!" Nabiki paused for a moment to take a breath. Ranma looked like he was having difficulty assimilating all that she was saying. He didn't like the idea that a lot of people wanted Akane.

"I'm not lying, Ranma. I'm not kidding." she assured him. Nabiki could see he was beginning to understand the gravity of the information she was imparting to him. He nodded curtly.

"Anyway, to make a long story short, she learned everything from Mom and she became the Master of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts Dance of Death technique when Mom died."

"But what about…"

"I know, I know, I'm not finished yet!" Nabiki said, "Sheesh!" 

Ranma looked sheepish. 

"Now to the part that concerns you. When Father learned that you and your father were coming to claim one of us as your fiancée, he became anxious. He didn't know which one of us he will give in marriage. He didn't have the heart to force Kasumi. He couldn't persuade me. The most likely candidate was Akane. But Akane didn't want to be forced into a loveless relationship, too. Dad started crying up a storm and wailing about dishonoring the family."

"Well, Akane never liked to see Dad cry, and ever since we were kids Akane was told she would inherit the Dojo since she was the only next generation Martial Artist in the family, so she must have felt guilty that she would let the family down if she didn't marry you. She finally relented to be engaged. Dad also thought that since the Saotomes come from a noble lineage, you must be Traditionalists. He was afraid that you'd reject a girl who practices Martial Arts, fights challengers everyday as part of her daily routine and acts so boyishly, so he insisted that Akane start acting more demure and womanlike. That included stopping practicing Martial Arts."

"That's cruel!" Ranma exclaimed. He imagined his life without Martial Arts and shivered. Nabiki nodded in agreement. "Hey, wait a minute! She fights challengers everyday?" he asked in surprise.

"She's a Master. A lot of people want to test their mettle against a Master, right? And stop interrupting if you want me to finish. I don't have all night, ya know" said Nabiki in irritation. Ranma sulked and settled back down to listen.

"Anyway, Akane was outraged at what Dad wanted her to do. They quarreled about it for a long time, until they finally reached a compromise. Akane agreed to be more girly and wear skirts, and act like she barely knows Martial Arts so that you won't feel threatened. Dad agreed that he will not force the two of you to get married, you will only be married if you love each other. It was agreed she'd keep the act up until after the Wedding Day, and that's the only time she'll tell the truth. But it looks like you've gotten into Akane's nerves one too many times. She'd given up on making you fall in love with her."

Ranma didn't know how to react. There were too many questions in his head. "You were all fooling me all along? And Akane was trying to make me fall in love with her all this time? But she always acts like she doesn't want to do anything about me, how could you say she'd been trying to catch my attention all this time? What does it all mean?" he rattled out his questions.

Nabiki frowned. "Hmm… I guess… yeah. We were just doing what Dad asked us to do. About your second question… Akane didn't agree to Soun's suggestion to throw herself at you in complete adoration. So I suggested Reverse psychology. You do the opposite of what your quarry expects… ahh, you're too much of a jock to understand that!… Next question. Oh yeah, what does it all mean? It means you're gonna see a very different Akane tomorrow," Nabiki looked at her watch to signal the end of their transaction. She stood up and stretched as Ranma rose from the bed.

"I still have work to do before I go to bed. Nice doing business with you," she said in dismissal.

"Wait! One more question!" Ranma said hurriedly. "Is she.. is she alright? Is she still mad at me?" he asked hesitantly. Nabiki's lips quirked into a grin, and she examined his face more closely. Ranma reddened.

"Why, Ranma! You surprise me! Did the Reverse Psychology actually work on you?" she said. Ranma frowned in confusion. Nabiki drew away with a laugh.

"You've got to ask Akane that," she replied. Ranma looked disappointed. "You've taken too much of my time already, maybe I should start billing you for overtime?" Ranma shook his head vigorously.  

"No, no! Hehehe! I'm on my way out, actually," he said hurriedly. Nabiki chuckled. 

"As you say. Goodnight!!!" she called out as Ranma closed the door behind him as he stepped out.

End of Chapter 1

Go back


	2. The Master of Nerima 2

MASTER OF NERIMA 

_A Fanfic done by Saint. All Ranma ½ characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi._

**Chapter 2: The Master's in Town!**

Ranma woke up to the sound of fighting. He grumpily covered his ears with his pillow and tried to go back to sleep but the noise was to loud. He guessed that Shampoo and Ukyou must have tried to deliver him breakfast again but ended up fighting.

            "Can't you be a little bit quieter down there? I'm trying to sleep here!!!" he yelled. Apparently nobody heard him, or nobody was listening, because the fighting continued. 

            "What's the deal with fighting so early in the morning anyway! It's too early!!!" he grumbled. Ranma made one last attempt to block out the din with his pillow, and then just gave up. Might as well get some breakfast. He stood up and stretched, and then opened his window and looked out. 

            It wasn't Ukyou and Shampoo after all. The combatants faced each other by the koi pond. One was a guy he had never seen before. He had long brown hair tied in a loose pony tail behind his back, and he wore a blue gi with the sleeves torn off. His weapon was a staff, and he really knew how to use it. He used it with precise movements against his opponent, a blue- haired girl.

            She looked awfully familiar, but he knew he'd never seen the likes of her before. He knew he could never forget if he'd seen her before, she had some kind of magnetism that made you stop and look at her. She was beautiful, graceful… but it wasn't those that drew the attention. It was something else. The beautiful girl wore very ordinary clothes, a white shirt and denim shorts, but she made them look so damn sexy. 

She was weaponless, and she stood motionless as the brown- haired guy charged at her.  Ranma almost launched himself out of the window to save the girl when she suddenly moved. 

Was… was she dancing?!? Yes… and No, she was nimbly evading and sidestepping the guy's attack, then launching an attack of her own, doing circles around the guy. He tried to pin her with his staff, but the girl blocked it and then countered with quick jabs to his chest. The guy blocked most of them and did a low kick that got in though her defenses. She was quick to her feet, though and the guy didn't have enough time to pin her in place. She jumped away to safety. They were pretty good. 

Ranma hurriedly dressed himself up to go downstairs and have a better look. 

"Good morning!!!" Kasumi greeted Ranma as he came down the stairs. As usual, she wore her ever present cheerful smile as she was setting up the table for breakfast. Ranma greeted her likewise and then hurried to the porch.

Nabiki, Mr. Tendo, and his father were already there watching the fight. He called out good morning to them, but his greeting was ignored. He shrugged. The two men were watching the fight intently, while Nabiki looked like she couldn't care less. Ranma sat down beside her. 

"Care to make a bet?" she asked him.

"No, I don't have any money left. I spent my allowance all up," he replied sheepishly. Nabiki shrugged non-committally, and returned to watching the battle. Ranma followed her example. 

Up close, the feeling of that he knew the girl combatant increased. There was no doubt he didn't know the guy, but the girl looked like someone he knew… Briefly, he wondered who the girl was, but soon he was drawn into the fight. 

"I, Hotori Kamiya will surely defeat you now!!!!" the brown- haired guy was saying.

The girl smirked, and crossed her arms on her chest. "Let's see," she merely said in response. 

It looked like she was playing with him. Since she fought weaponless, she had to fight close range. Pressing her attack, she danced around him while throwing well- aimed kicks and punches. The guy blocked her attack with his staff, then jumped out of the way when he got an opening. He didn't fight well when he felt crowded. It didn't help either that he couldn't think straight when she was so near and staring at him. 

"Cyclone Spinning Staff of Oblivion!!!" The guy yelled out as he whirled his staff in front of him and made a mini tornado directed at the girl. Ranma was impressed, the guy was good!!! 

Confidently, the girl met it headlong, and dived to the center of the whirling wind. Grabbing the spinning staff, she stopped the tornado, and then slammed it against his chest. The poor guy was thrown against the wall. He lay dazed for a moment, and then slowly, he stood up and faced her again. They watched the guy launch a barrage of jabs with his staff. She jumped high in the air to escape the attack, and then propelled her body into a dive for the guy. The guy anticipated her action, and held the staff like a spear. The girl's eyes grew wide, as she saw the staff pointed straight for her. She deftly grabbed the staff's end, and used it to propel herself into a back flip. She landed face to face with her opponent. For a moment, the guy stared at her blankly. Suddenly, she smiled at him and then pushed him roughly away. 

It all came downhill from there. His attacks grew weaker and weaker. His defense was slipping, too. He was letting her get near to touch him. It was just a matter of time until the fight is over. 

Ranma felt confused. She was quick and strong, but he can tell she was controlling her kicks and punches. Heck, he wasn't even bleeding yet. Her opponent's weakness didn't come from her physical attacks. Was she using some kind of magic, or was it acupressure? It didn't look like it. Her attacks were pretty straight forward, though they were delivered very skillfully. Then why was the guy wearing a blank expression in his face? 

The guy in question suddenly flew back against the wall again, courtesy of a powerful shove to the chest. Painfully, he raised himself to his feet. 

"This is far from over, girl!" he gasped out.

"Oh yes it is,' the girl countered. She stood, looking relaxed in her white shirt and shorts. Silently, the combatants contemplated each other. The guy was gasping for breath, while the girl had hardly broken into a sweat. She waited patiently as her opponent tried to catch his breath. Then suddenly the guy rushed at her. She quickly shifted into a ready stance. They understood this was the guy's last attempt for victory, this was his last burst of energy. He charged at her with his staff like a raging bull.

Suddenly, the girl started running, too. She quickly evaded the thrusting staff and entered the guy's defenses. Then she grabbed his collar and vaulted over him with a backflip, lifting him up in the air after her. The guy landed on his back in a daze. The girl stood over him for a moment in triumph, and then she leaned closer to the fallen martial artist.

"Yield?" 

"Yield. …would you like to go out with me sometime?" the guy asked as he struggled to sit up. The blue- haired girl laughed and offered him her hand in assistance. 

"I don't think so… but I'll think about it" she replied with a friendly smile. They bowed formally to end the fight. The blue- haired girl helped the other martial artist to the gate.

"Breakfast's ready!" Kasumi announced. With the fight over, Ranma stood up to go. He noticed that Mr. Tendo and his father were waving victory flags. Nabiki also stood up but she made no move to go inside, instead she remained holding a towel with her. Ranma shrugged, and started to walk back inside. Behind him, he heard his father ask who the combatants were.

"I'm not sure, he introduced himself as Hotori something, right? I think he came from Hokkaido. Is that correct, Nabiki?"

"Uhuh"

"and what about that girl? She's quite a fighter, and very beautiful, too. Makes me think about my younger days" Genma said slyly, "and why're they fighting here in the dojo anyway?" Suddenly, Soun's demon head loomed over the bald martial artist. Genma sweatdropped. Meanwhile, the blue- haired girl chose that time to come back from the gate. 

She gave a small coin purse to Nabiki, and accepted the towel offered to her. Then she moved to Soun's side. 

"Don't ever ATTEMPT to even think indecently about my daughter Akane!!!" the demon head scowled ferociously. When he heard what Soun said, Ranma lost his balance and crashed to the floor. Genma just stared slack jawed then toppled over. 

"Wha-? Akane? Nnnnn…." Genma blabbered as he sat up and stared at Akane. Ranma also recovered himself and stood up. He had a look of total unbelief plastered on his face. Akane and Nabiki both wore identical smirks on their lips. 

"Should have brought my camera with me! Stupid! Stupid!!!" Nabiki muttered. Akane giggled. Together, the sisters walked out of the room, followed by Ranma and Genma's unbelieving stares. When they were gone, they looked back at Soun who still wore his demon head scowl.

"Errrr…. Ranma, I saw you slip earlier. You're getting slow!!!! To the dojo with you!!!!" Genma suddenly yelled at his son. 

"Uhhhh…. You're gonna regret that, old man!!!! Come on!!!!" Father and Son suddenly moved into action and leaped out for the dojo.

-0-o-0-o-0-

Akane muffled her laughter but Nabiki didn't even try to hide hers. "Well, that was fun!" Akane stated. Nabiki nodded. "Especially since we've gotten our primary income, your challenges back,"  she added while playing with the small coin purse. The two sisters settled down at the table while Kasumi brought the breakfast dishes out. 

"That was a very good fight, 'Kane- chan," Kasumi chirped while arranging the table. She flashed a happy smile at her sisters. "… though I think you got a little bit soft because of lack of practice."

The youngest Tendo sister nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I thought so, too… but I know I'll be back to my old self again after a week or so," she replied.

"You better! Dozens of Challengers are on their way here even as we speak," Nabiki said as she took her cup of coffee.

"Uh-huh… just like the old times…" Akane said with a faint smile on her lips.

-o-0-o-0-o-

            Ranma wiped the sweat off his brow, and stretched. Sprawled at his feet was his father in panda form, knocked out cold. He glanced at the house. Right now he wasn't sure he wanted to go in there and see the Tendos. Not even his growling stomach could persuade him to face them.

            He didn't know what to think. All his emotions were jumbled together. Was it possible to feel relief, loss, anger, and confusion all at the same time? 

            He was relieved because in a way, the pressure on him to marry Akane had lessened somewhat, or was it the other way around? Now that Akane had professed she'd given up on making him love her, it was up to Ranma to break the engagement… or to make it work. He just has to say the word, and he'll be free, then why was he feeling like he lost something valuable? Another thing… what was the deal with making him fall in love with her? Was it purely for her family's sake? Or could it be possible she was also doing it because she was in love with him, too…

            He also felt confused because he now realized that the Akane he'd known wasn't the real Akane at all, and he felt angry at her because she'd duped him all this time. And he didn't know what to do next. Should he and his father leave? Should they stay? Should he be happy with the turn of events?  What about his feelings for Akane? Ranma's gaze fell on the Buddha guarding the dojo. 

            Outside, the wind blew softly. "Look into your heart and you will find the answer to your questions…" the breeze suddenly seemed to whisper to him.

            Ranma's thoughts were interrupted by a groan from the panda. Ranma glanced once at his father and decided to leave the dojo to take a bath before he regains consciousness.

-o-0-o-0-o-


	3. the master of Nerima 3- Enemies

MASTER OF NERIMA

_A Fanfic done by Saint. All Ranma ½ characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi._

_*Okay, people…before everybody sends me to outerspace… I'd added a note at the end of this chapter to EXPLAIN things. I'm sorry I'm such a lousy writer, but could you read it before commenting, please?!!_

Chapter 3: Enemies

            In another part of Nerima, a figure lay curled up in a ball inside an untidy futon. The room he was in was in complete chaos, reflecting the state of mind the solitary figure was in. 

            He seemed to be feverish, sweat accumulating on his brow, his whole body shivering violently, his eyes bloodshot… and he was muttering gibberish under his breath. 

            "Uhhhh… I feel her again…" he muttered restlessly. "Sweet… my blue babyyyy…uhhhh…" His stricken eyes stared blankly with insane need. "Yyy… you will fill me at last… ooohhhh… yes, yes…" he seemed to be speaking to someone even though no one's there. His eyes suddenly dilated. 

"… or maybe I will fill you!" Then he suddenly erupted in a fit of hysterical laughter that chilled the bones of anyone who happened to hear.

-o-0-O-0-o-

"

"I – DON'T – CARE – WHAT – RANMA - THINKS!" Akane chanted under her breath as she punctuated each word with a punch or a kick on a hapless punching bag. She'd been doing this for almost an hour, repeating her statement over and over like a mantra while practicing in the dojo. 

It had been a week since she'd decided she'd had enough and took her old life back. It had also been a week since she'd last talked to Ranma. Basically, he'd avoided her like she was the plague herself.

Akane wiped her brow angrily and started her chanting- punching again. Everything was now the way she wanted it to be. She had her martial arts back. Everybody was happy for her.  She didn't have to worry about any fiancée problem anymore… though she still didn't know how Shampoo and Ukyo had taken the news about her really being a Martial Arts Master and her giving up on Ranma since neither of them had shown up on her doorstep yet.

Atleast Kuno hadn't changed a bit. He still spouted flowery prose whenever he saw her… but he'd been doing that anyway even before Ranma came to live with them. Akane didn't worry much about Kuno even though he'd declared that SHE was his property now that she was out of "the Sorcerer Saotome's" clutches. She snorted, he could never get in her defenses… EVER!!!

The problem was Ranma. He just suddenly turned aloof. He started avoiding her, going to school earlier than her… not watching her Challenge Fights…not even sparing her a glance at lunch time… not even waiting for her after class like he used to…

Akane didn't realize she'd stopped punching the bag. She was recollecting the past and all the time she'd spent with Ranma… their fights, their trips to the ice cream parlor, their adventures… she suddenly shook her head and kicked the punching bag real hard.

"He's an oversized, overbearing JERK! I – don't – care – what – he – thinks!!!" she gritted out as she pummeled the bag with all her strength. When she finished, she panted from all her exertion and finally relaxed.

Well, if he's gonna be that way, well, let him. He's not her problem anymore anyway, she thought petulantly. It's not as if he was anything important to her… She willed her mind not to dwell on her last statement.

Suddenly, a bonbori wizzed through the roof and embedded itself on the floor where Akane originally stood. She had heard the attack coming and sidestepped it calmly. Then she turned around to face the purple haired Chinese girl grinning maniacally at her. Shampoo balanced on a stone by the koi pond.

"Very Good Slow Tomboy to give up on Husband! That means Shampoo now free to give Tomboy girl Kiss of death!!!!", Shampoo said with an evil smile.

Akane answered her smile with an almost same smile of her own. "I don't care what you think, Shampoo, but if you want a fight, I'll gladly give you one!" she replied. 

"It would be my Pleasure!" she ended with a dangerous glint in her eye. 

Shampoo laughed and suddenly charged inside the dojo. Akane had moved into a ready stance to accept her opponent's blows and easily dodged and parried Shampoo's punches. Then she suddenly swept her leg under Shampoo and the purple haired girl suddenly found herself on the ground. There was a look of unbelief on her face.

"Get serious, Shampoo! I thought you wanted to kill me?" Akane said impatiently. "Or maybe you want me to finish this now?"

Shampoo quickly recovered and rolled away instantly. When she faced Akane again, there was a look of respect in her eyes. "So it is true. Tomboy Girl does have hidden Skill! … Only very Skilled Martial Artists can hide Skill from Amazons" she said with a hint of admiration in her tone, but her voice quickly hardened. "But Tomboy's Skill still not enough to defeat Shampoo!!!"

            Shampoo snatched the bonbori from where it had embedded itself earlier, and then shifted into a ready stance. Now she scrutinized her opponent seriously for the first time ever and found shocking information. This wasn't like the old Akane she knew. 

She recognized the signs of an experienced warrior. The relaxed stance… the alert gaze… the will to win the fight. She had never seen these things in Akane before.

"This will be fuuuunnn!," Shampooo practically purred.

-o-0-O-0-o-

            Ranma was lying in his usual thinking place, on the roof just above Akane's room when he heard a ruckus and saw Shampoo hop in to the dojo.

            He instantly flattened himself against the roof. 

"Thank Kami she didn't see me!!!" Ranma murmured in relief. He wasn't particularly up to getting glomped  so early in the morning.

Then Ranma realized that she wasn't holding a bento when she came in, but a bonbori. Fear suddenly blossomed inside him and he quickly jumped down the roof, Akane's name on his lips.

"Shampoo! Stop it!" Ranma yelled angrily as he dropped down on the ground.

Two pairs of intense female eyes suddenly turned to him. The girls were facing each other in fighting stances when he had interrupted. Ranma suddenly felt like he was just caught doing something wrong.

"Shampoo sorry, Ranma- husband… but NO" Shampoo purred amid clenched teeth. He saw her hand grasp the bonbori tighter. Akane just watched him with a scowl.

"I can fight anyone I please, whenever I please… and I don't need you to fight my battles for me," Akane drawled. 

Something suddenly cracked inside Ranma and he was frozen in place. For a crazy moment, he felt that it was his heart.

"I don't need you… I don't need you…" kept echoing inside his mind. As he watched, Shampoo and Akane suddenly ran out of the dojo and jumped over the wall.

-o-0-O-0-o-

            A bonbori flew and lodged right where Akane had just been standing. It had been so sudden that she lost her balance as she somersaulted out of its way. Akane gritted her teeth as she quickly recovered her footing. She'd almost forgotten, Amazons fight dirty.

            Shampoo balanced on top of a wall with a smug look on her face. "Ranma- husband mine!!!," she stated.

            Akane shook her head impatiently. "I am not fighting for Ranma! You can have him if he wants you!!! The hell I care!!!" she yelled out. She pointed a finger at Shampoo.

            "I am fighting because of all the months I had to endure your taunts when I could've easily trounced your silly little butt back to China!!!"

            Shampoo's eyes widened. "Why you!!!!," she screeched and then quickly caught herself.            She nodded curtly and smiled.

 "Akane right. We fight for REAL!" she said solemnly. A glint appeared in her eye. Akane nodded too and then the fight was recommenced.

It was Akane's turn to make the first move. To Shampoo's surprise, she suddenly broke into a run, hopping over rooftops and fences. 

"Haha!!! Amazons are too slow!!!!" Akane mocked. 

With a determined look, Shampoo followed. Akane led her in a merry chase across Nerima. For the second time, she had misjudged her opponent. She'd already known Akane had Stamina, but she clearly had no idea about her speed. To Shampoo's surprise, she was almost as fast as Ranma. She decided to treat this fight as if she was fighting someone she'd never fought before.

Akane suddenly stopped in her tracks and whipped a mean kick to Shampoo's stomach. It caught her square and Shampoo flew backwards. She slammed against a wall and fell down an alley where a trash can fortunately broke her fall. Without hesitation, Akane followed. At the alley, Shampoo was waiting for her. She covered Akane with a series of punches which Akane blocked.

"Take this… and this!!!" Shampoo gritted as she forced Akane into a defense stance. Akane blocked as best as she could but a number still managed to connect. She was being backed to a corner where she had no escape when she caught sight of a short stick lying at her feet. With a deft kick, the stick flew to her hand and she used it to brace Shampoo's onslaught. Then she kicked her out of the way. 

"Yeah, yeah… It's not good enough!!!" Akane scoffed. Akane then countered with a swift punch to the face which Shampoo evaded. Unfortunately, it gave Akane an opening in Shampoo's defenses and she gladly took advantage of it.

With a hard high kick, Shampoo suddenly found herself kissing the dirt. Akane hopped away and out of the alley. Honestly, she was getting a bit claustrophobic in there.She almost got a close shave for a minute there. She allowed herself a glance to her surroundings… and found out that she was standing just in front of the Nekohanten. She suddenly got an idea.

Shampoo picked herself up and wiped a bit of blood on her lip. She could see Akane standing in the middle of the street waiting for her, and behind her was the Nekohanten. She suddenly remembered Cologne and was suddenly ashamed. She was losing to a female outsider. This should not be. And Mousse… Mousse would think she was getting soft and who knows what he might think! With a newly restored resolve, she strode out to the sunlight. Shampoo burst out of the darkness of the alley and caught Akane by surprise. With an Amazon cry, she launched a series of kicks and punches at her opponent. Akane blocked some and evaded others but a punch got through her and she was shoved against a wall.

"Ouch!" Akane said wryly, and quickly rolled out of the way of another punch which could have really nailed her for sure. She fell hard on her shoulder to avoid it. Ignoring the twinge of pain, she got back to her feet and evaded a kick. Shampoo tried a high kick next but Akane caught her leg and then suddenly swung her away. 

Shampoo crashed against a table inside the Nekohanten. Some of the customers stood up in panic. But most of the Patrons have gotten used with all the fighting, they just watched in interest but still continued eating.

"I want to tell you something before we continue," Akane huffed, trying to catch her breath. Shampoo took her time extricating herself from her mess.

"It's a pity you don't even notice what a good looking Guy you've got who's already in love with you"

Shampoo frowned at Akane. "Tomboy Girl mean Mousse? Mousse not powerful. Shampoo beats Mousse all the time. Tomboy Girl can have Mousse for herself!" she said scornfully. She finally regained her feet.

Akane laughed. "Don't you realize Mousse is made of sterner stuff than you think? He almost beat Ranma one time. He just lets you beat him because he's in love with you."

Shampoo scowled.  

"Oh well, if you won't have him… I'll take him. Here he is now!!!" Akane said silkily. Mousse just stepped out of the kitchen and was looking blankly at them. Suddenly, Akane's aura started to glow. To Shampoo's amazement, Akane strode toward Mousse.

Mousse had just stepped out of the kitchen when he found Akane and Shampoo facing each other in the middle of the room. His first inclination was to glomp Shampoo but his eyes for some reason seemed to be glued to Akane. She was walking towards him. As she neared, a warm feeling suddenly started to seep inside him and it seemed like he was drowning inside her beautiful brown eyes. She laid a hand against his chest and smiled up at him. 

"Do you love me, Mousse?" she whispered with a sad smile. 

"Yes…" he said as his arms started to enfold her in an embrace. Akane quickly backed away. 

"I know you'll hate me when I'm finished with this, but I think this is the right thing to do,'she whispered, then in a louder voice she said "Then show Shampoo how much you love me," as she turned back at her flabbergasted opponent.

Mousse looked at Shampoo as if he'd never ever seen her before let alone was in love with her. It was the first time Shampoo had ever seen his steely eyes. He'd always looked at her behind fogged up glasses before. 

"Ofcourse, my love," he said gravely. Then without warning, he attacked.

-o-0-O-0-o-

AUTHOR"S NOTES:

I have just discovered that Author's notes are a very valuable part of fanfiction, and I'm determined to use it from now on… 

… Now… To explain some points about what I wrote:

1.) Shampoo and Akane are FIGHTING. "Amazons are too slow" is a taunt, for Christ's sake.

2.) Nobody said Akane turned to some kind of Superman, okay? If you noticed, she used Mousse to fight Shampoo and Shampoo gets into her defenses when they to get hand to hand combat. I just upped her so that she'll be in Ranma's league. Let's say she's as powerful as Ukyo without her Spatula. Her power is her Charisma, ok?


	4. The Master of Nerima - 4

MASTER OF NERIMA

_A Fanfic done by Arkanghel. All Ranma ½ characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi._

Chapter 4: 

            As if in slow motion, Shampoo watched in horrible fascination as Mousse drew weapons out from his robe. Chains flew through the air right for her, but Shampoo stood rooted where she stood. He was unlike any Mousse she'd ever seen before. 

            Then a mace grazed her cheek and that woke her up. With a cry, she quickly jumped out of harm's way. Mousse followed after her doggedly. 

            "Stupid Mousse! Shampoo no want to hurt you!" Shampoo said angrily. Mousse didn't bother to speak at all. He just let a couple of shurikkens fly towards her. Shampoo picked a chair and blocked it, then threw it at him. Across the room, Akane stood watching gravely.

            "Stupid Tomboy- girl! What you do to Mousse!!!" Shampoo yelled at her. She dashed for her bonbori and threw it at Akane's direction. A chain whipped out of Mousse's sleeve and slapped the bonbori from the air.

            "You will not hurt Akane!" he said angrily, and rushed at her. Shampoo was taken off guard, and she went flying across the room.

            Akane watched silently. This was just the second time she had to use her most powerful technique. That proves that Shampoo is really a very superb warrior. She was still very young when she used this technique the first time, and it ended very badly. She had to do it to defend herself. Now, she wondered why she did it now. 

She guessed that maybe she just wanted to show-off. A very lousy reason.

            Akane suddenly felt her stomach lurch and then she felt nauseous. She had to lean against the wall to steady herself. 

            ***"_What a pretty little girl you are," a man said, leaning over her. _

_He held a lollipop to her but she was afraid to take it. He was  nicely dressed, and he was quite handsome, but still, there was something wrong with his eyes. She shook her head timidly._

_"Why, don't you like candy?" he asked. "Oh, I know what you'll like – Ice cream!" he said._

_Her eyes grew big. Ice cream? That was her favorite!_

_            "With chocolate hot fudge and almonds?" she asked eagerly._

_            The man's smile grew bigger. "Of course, all that you want," he said._

_            "YEY!" she yelled happily, and took his hand. His hand was so clammy and cold. _

_He led her away from the park. They walked a long time. She looked around, and couldn't see anything familiar anymore._

_            "Blue babyyy… My blue baby…" the man mumbled, his hand gripping hers painfully._

_            "Mister, you're hurting me," she whimpered. "I wanna go home!"_

_            "Blue baby…" he continued to mumble, then he suddenly pulled her into a dark alley._

_"You're mine…" his voice chilled her like nothing ever could.***_

-o-0-O-0-o-

Shampoo glared at Mousse darkly as she picked herself. If he wanted a fight, she'll oblige him. She'll trounce him into a pulp for attempting something like this! With an amazon cry, she launched an attack. 

Mousse parried every kick and punch she threw his way. A sneer on his face enraged Shampoo more and her kicks got deadlier, but nothing got through his defenses. Then she suddenly changed tactics, and hopped away. Picking a mace lying on the ground, she threw it at him. Mousse sidestepped it, and it only grazed his shoulder and then he threw a chain at her. It wrapped around her leg when she tried to vault out of the way. 

"Aiya!!!" Shampoo cried. She came crashing ungracefully to the ground. Then she was up in the air again as Mousse pulled the chain back. Shampoo twisted, and turned her momentum into an attack. This time, she was successful, a vicious kick landed square on Mousse's face. He lost his balance, and tumbled down, Shampoo on top of him. 

Making use of the opening in Mousse's defense, a lot of Shampoo's jabs struck home before Mousse could recover. Then she nimbly hopped away before he could retaliate. Mousse weaved through the air, obviously still dazed. Unfortunately, Shampoo forgot about the chain still bound to her leg, but he didn't. With a powerful pull, Shampoo went flying against a wall.

It was the end of the fight. 

Shampoo fell unconscious to the floor, and Mousse strode purposefully towards her, a vicious- looking dagger glinting in his hand.

-o-0-O-0-o-

Akane awoke feeling sick from her stupor. She drunkenly grabbed anything that could steady her. Her eyes quickly scanned the place to reorient herself when she saw Mousse bending over Shampoo. 

"NO!" she cried. "Not again! Stop Mousse!!!" She stumbled forward, and then regained her feet. Her right hand weaved across the air as she concentrated. 

"Enough!" she said raggedly. Then she finally retched.

-o-0-O-0-o-

            Mousse felt like he'd just awoken. Slowly, he regained his senses and his awareness. Why was he holding a dagger in his hand? Why did he feel so sore all over? Why was he standing over an unconscious Shampoo?

            "Aiya!!! What have I done?!?" he cried. He threw the dagger as if it was a snake and cradled Shampoo's prone body in his arms.

            "What have I done!?" 

            At the other side of  the room, Akane stood up unsteadily and watched Mousse hold Shampoo. Then she slowly left the Nekohanten, feeling like the most awful person in the whole world.

-o-0-O-0-o-

            "For tonight's hard-hitting news… A stay-in Patient of the Mito Mental Ward had escaped earlier today and is currently running free around Nerima. Everybody is advised to practice more caution until this man is recaptured…"

            Nabiki's attention was temporarily taken away from the TV when Akane entered. She looked ready to keel over.

            "What happened to you?" she asked.

            "Nothing," Akane replied vaguely. Nabiki noticed a slight wobble in Akane's gait.

            "Ara! Akane, you look sick!" Kasumi appeared at the door with some tea and promptly dropped it on the table and rushed to Akane's side.

            "I'm just tired, that's all. I just fought with Shampoo today," she faintly explained. "I just need to rest in my room."

            Akane disengaged herself from Kasumi and continued on out of the room. Her two older sisters stared at her back with some concern. Then Nabiki shrugged noncommittally, and went back to watching the news.

            "… about 5'8" tall, lean build, and  longish light colored hair. He has been in the ward for 8 years. Anyone who has seen this man may call this hotline…"

            A picture was flashed on air, and Nabiki saw a vaguely familiar looking man. She couldn't place where she'd seen him before, but a shiver ran through her spine as she stared at his eyes. She'd seen eyes like that before... eight years ago.

            Maybe she'll check some things in her laptop before she went to bed.

-o-0-O-0-o-


End file.
